A breath of fresh air after several staleattemptsto legalizethe segregation of gay and straights have fumbled around the U.S. arrives courtesy of my hometown, Kansas City, Missouri. On Friday, the K.C. City Council adopted a resolution calling for statewide protections against discrimination for the LGBT community.

The resolution—introduced by Councilman-At-Large Scott Wagner and passed by a unanimous vote—urges the General Assembly to adopt the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act (MONA). Submitted to the Assembly in February, MONA would add statewide protections for sexual orientation and gender identity to Missouri's Human Rights Statute.

“Kansas City really gets it,” said Kyle Piccola, the K.C. Field Organizer for PROMO, an LGBT organization working within Missouri. “The City Council understands that in order to run a 21st century city they have to treat all citizens equally and value what they bring to the table. Not only does this resolution affirm the City’s continued efforts for LGBT equality, but proves Kansas City means business as we grow our influence in the global market place.

Piccola added: “I commend the Kansas City City Council for taking such a strong position on LGBT discrimination. They sent a strong message after a unanimous vote that all Missourians deserve to freely share about themselves and their families without the fear of legal discrimination.”

Kansas City's history with inclusive non-discrimination ordinances is impressive; in 1993, the city became one of the first in the Midwest to make discrimination against gays and lesbians illegal. As for Missouri, a law banning employment discrimination based on sexual orientation in the public sector is currently on the books.